_FIRST READING.--SOFT WOODS._
The principal evergreen, or cone-bearing trees, natives of Canada, are
_Pines_, _Firs_, and _Thujas_.
As every one cannot distinguish a Pine from a Fir, this lesson is
illustrated with drawings, showing the peculiar character of each, so
that any boy or girl may be able, when looking at a cone-bearing tree,
to decide whether it is a Pine or a Fir.
Fig. 1 represents a small piece of the twig of a White Pine. On
examination it will be seen that the leaves are needle-shaped, and
spring from the young shoot in little tufts of fives, all issuing
from one point. This arrangement and form of the leaf are peculiar to
Pines, and should be kept in mind when examining a tree, in order to
know whether it is a Pine or a Fir. Every Pine tree, however, has not
_five_ leaves issuing from one point; some have only two, and there are
others, again, that have three.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.]
Fig. 2 represents a twig of the Hemlock Spruce Fir, a tree well-known
to nearly every young person in Canada. Looking at this illustration,
we at once observe that the leaves are distributed _singly_ on the
young shoot, and stand out in two rows. In the case of a few species
of Fir, however, the leaves are not thus arranged, but are scattered
all round the twigs, being stiff and pointed, as shown in Fig. 3, which
represents a twig of the common Black Spruce Fir. In all cases, Firs
have their leaves springing _singly_ from the twigs, an arrangement by
which any child can distinguish them from Pines.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.]
Of all our native trees, Pines are considered the most valuable, as
their timber can be used for almost every purpose for which wood is
required, especially for house-building, ship-building, fencing, and
railway construction. The two principal species are the White and the
Red Pine.
[Illustration: FIG. 3.]
The White Pine is one of the grandest trees of our Canadian forests.
It grows to very large proportions on dry, gravelly lands, where it is
not crowded by other trees. We often find individual pine trees rising
to the height of 200 feet, with stems from four to six feet in diameter
near the ground; but in general they may be said to reach 150 feet,
with a diameter of about three feet. In the earlier settled parts of
the country, the best and largest trees of this species were cut down
long ago; but thousands of fine specimens are still to be met with in
the backwoods.
The Red Pine does not grow to so large a size as the White, nor is
it found so plentifully in our forests. It is to be met with only on
dry, gravelly knolls, and in rocky parts of the country, generally in
patches of small extent, and seldom among other trees. Its timber is of
the best description, and is much sought after by lumbermen. Owing to
this cause it is now comparatively scarce. All Pines are reared from
seeds, which may be found ripe in their cones in the month of November.
Although our Fir trees are, generally speaking, not so important as
our Pines, still, there are two or three of them well worthy of being
brought under notice here, particularly the Douglas Fir, the Hemlock
Spruce Fir, the common Black Spruce Fir, and the Balsam Fir.
The Douglas Fir is not found in the woods east of the Rocky Mountains,
but it grows in the immense forests of British Columbia to heights
varying from 150 to 250 feet, with trunks from three to ten feet in
diameter. A peculiar feature of this Fir is, that the bark on old trees
is found from ten to fourteen inches thick. Where full grown, this
grand Fir usually stands apart from other trees, and forms a majestic
object in the landscape, being clothed with horizontal branches from
the base to the top. The timber is exceedingly durable, and in its
native province is much used for general purposes. It is also exported
for ship-masts, the tall, clean stems making the best of material for
this purpose.
The Hemlock Spruce Fir, most young people of Canada are acquainted
with, as it is widely distributed, and found in many bushes of the
country. In open situations, and on cool-bottomed lands, the Hemlock
is a noble tree; while young it is very graceful in form, and when
approaching maturity its horizontal limbs give it the appearance of the
Cedar of Lebanon. Its timber, however, is not esteemed so highly as
that of the Pine, being of a loose and open character. But, although
this is the case, it is largely used for rough boarding purposes, as
in building barns, and in making side-walks. The bark of this tree is
valuable for tanning leather.
The Black Spruce Fir, or _Gum Spruce_, as it is often called, is very
common on most flat and cool-bottomed lands in Canada, and also on the
banks of lakes and rivers. It is a tall and beautifully formed tree,
having a dark brown bark, and very dark green leaves. It is from these
characteristics that it derives its name. It grows to a height varying
from 70 to 100 feet, but the stems seldom attain diameters over two
feet at the bottom. The timber, though light, is very tough and strong.
The Balsam is one of the handsomest members of this family.
Commercially it is not of much value, but as an ornamental tree it is
unsurpassed--its regular conical form, closely set branches, and deep
green leaves, rendering it a conspicuous object in any landscape. The
Balsam seldom exceeds forty or fifty feet in height.
Although the Firs, like the Pines, are reared from seeds which ripen
in October and November, they may be grown from cuttings of the young
wood, as rare kinds sometimes are when their seeds cannot be had.
The Thuja, or _Arbor vitæ_, as it is generally called, is a very
useful class of Canadian trees. It grows to a large size, and is found
chiefly on the Pacific slope. There is only one species which is a
native of Ontario, and to it alone we shall here refer. It is known
to most people in Ontario under the name of the _White Cedar_. How it
came to be called a _Cedar_ we do not know; but its true name is the
_Arbor vitæ_. This species is too familiar to the people of the eastern
provinces of Canada to require any lengthened description, as many
farmers have it growing in the swampy parts of their bushes, and find
it useful for various purposes, especially as rails for fencing.
The leaves of this tree are so small, that to a casual observer, they
scarcely appear to be leaves. If they are closely looked at, however,
it will be seen that they are in opposite pairs, and lie flat and
pressed on the twigs, each pair overlapping the other like the shingles
on a house-top. When they are roughly handled, they give out a strong
aromatic smell. The tree, although it grows to large dimensions--some
times to eighty or ninety feet in height, with stems from two to three
feet in diameter--cannot be considered an ornamental one, as its
branches are too loose and open, and its leaves too small, to give it a
clothed look. Its timber, however, is of the most valuable description,
being very durable, and in this respect it is not surpassed by any
other tree. Much of it is used for railway ties. The Thujas are all
grown from seeds, but like the Firs, they may be reared from cuttings.